By Prudence Arobani
New York – The U.S. has congratulated the people of Somalia on the successful conclusion of their national electoral process.
The U.S. Department of State, in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr Mark Toner, also congratulated Mr Mohamed Mohamed “on his selection as the next President of the Federal Government of Somalia and look forward to working closely with him and the new government”.
U.S commended the Somali security forces and the African Union Mission in Somalia for their efforts over the past six months to allow the electoral process to unfold in a relatively safe and secure environment.
“This transition represents an important step forward for the country.
“We commend the thousands of Somalis from across the country, including youth and women, who were able to vote in greater numbers than in the 2012 elections, but regret the numerous credible reports of irregularities in the electoral process.
“We encourage Somalia’s new administration to take credible steps to stamp out corruption and to establish strong electoral institutions to enable a free and fair one person one vote poll in 2020.”
The U.S. said it looked forward to the timely formation of a new government, and to working in partnership with the President and new government to advance reconciliation, drought relief, security, and build the strong institutions to deliver good governance and development for the Somali people.
Somali lawmakers elected the new president on Wednesday, choosing the former prime minister who is a dual U.S.-Somali citizen.
Mohamed, better known as “Farmajo,” was declared the winner after two rounds of voting by the Somali parliament in Mogadishu.
Farmajo won the largest share of votes in the second round, far outdistancing incumbent leader Hassan Mohamud and former president Sharif Ahmed.
Mohamud conceded defeat after the vote count, and the crowd inside a venue at Mogadishu’s international airport erupted into cheers.
The new president, who was quickly sworn in, pledged to improve security, fight corruption and assist the poor.